ABSTRACT

Keywords: catfish - giant kidney worm - urban area

Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782) has been reported in several species of wild carnivores

(canids and mustelids) and also domestic dogs. Aquatic oligochaetes act as intermediate hosts

and frogs and fish act as paratenic hosts. This paper reports on the occurrence of third-stage D.

renale larvae in the fish, Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) (Callichthyidae), from

southern Brazil. Four hosts collected from urban canals from southern Brazil were necropsied.

Nematodes were fixed in AFA, preserved in 70°GL glycerinated alcohol, cleared and mounted in

Amann's lactophenol. All hosts were infected by third-stage larvae of D. renale with one larva per

cyst occurring in the body cavity and stomach serous. The occurrence of third-stage larvae of D.

renale in H. littorale suggests that this fish is a potential paratenic host.

RESEARCH NOTE / NOTA CIENTÍFICA

THIRD-STAGE LARVAE OF DIOCTOPHYME RENALE (GOEZE, 1782) (NEMATODA:

ENOPLIDA) IN HOPLOSTERNUM LITTORALE (HANCOCK, 1828) (SILURIFORMES:

CALLICHTHYIDAE) FROM SOUTHERN BRAZIL

LARVA DE TERCER ESTADIO DE DIOCTOPHYME RENALE (GOEZE, 1782)

(NEMATODA: ENOPLIDA) EN HOPLOSTERNUM LITTORALE (HANCOCK, 1828)

(SILURIFORMES: CALLICHTHYIDAE) IN SUR DEL BRASIL

* * † ‡ *

C. S. Mascarenhas ; A. B. D. Henzel ; F. Corrêa ; R. B. Robaldo & G. Müller

*Laboratório de Parasitologia de Animais Silvestres (LAPASIL), Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas

† ‡

(UFPel); Laboratório de Ictiologia, Departamento de Zootecnia (UFPel); Laboratório de Fisiologia Aplicada a

Aqüicultura, Instituto de Biologia (UFPel)

E-mail: phrybio@hotmail.com

Neotropical Helminthology, 2016, 10(1), ene-jun: 135-138.

135

ISSN Versión impresa 2218-6425 ISSN Versión Electrónica 1995-1043

RESUMEN

Palabras clave: cascarudo - gusano gigante del riñón - zona urbana

Dioctophyme renale (Goeze, 1782) ocurre en varias especies de carnívoros silvestres (cánidos y

mustélidos) y también en perros domésticos. Oligoquetos acuáticos actúan como hospedadores,

ranas y peces como hospedadores paraténicos. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo registrar larvas

de tercer estadio de Dioctophyme renale en Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828)

(Callichthyidae), en el sur de Brasil. Cuatro hospedadores recogidos de los canales urbanos del

sur de Brasil fueron examinados. Los nematodos fueron fijados en AFA, conservados en el 70 °

GL alcohol glicerinado, y aclarados en lactofenol de Amann. Todos los hospedadores estaban

infectados con larvas de tercer estadio de D. renale, con una larva por quiste, encontrados en la

cavidad del cuerpo y en la serosa del estómago. La ocurrencia de larvas de tercer estadio de D.

renale en Hoplosternum littorale sugiere que este pez tiene potencial como hospedador

paraténico.

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The giant kidney worm, Dioctophyme renale

(Goeze, 1782) (Nematoda: Enoplida), is

usually found in the right kidney and

occasionally in both kidneys and the peritoneal

cavity of wild carnivores and domestic dogs

(definitive hosts) (Kommers et al., 1999;

Anderson, 2000; Pesenti et al., 2012; Duarte et

al., 2013; Hernández-Russo et al., 2014). The

life history of D. renale was studied in North

America, where fish and amphibians act as

paratenic hosts when they become infected by

ingesting aquatic oligochaetes (Lumbriculus

variegatus) (intermediate hosts) with third-

stage larvae (Mace & Anderson, 1975;

Measures & Anderson, 1985). In Brazil, third-

stage D. renale larvae were reported in frogs,

fish, and freshwater turtles (Pedrassani et al.,

2009; Abdallah et al., 2012; Mascarenhas &

Müller, 2015a, 2015b), however, there is a

large gap in the knowledge of life cycle of D.

renale, despite several reports of the parasitic

helminth in domestic dogs and wild animals

(Mascarenhas & Müller, 2015a).

Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828)

(Siluriformes: Callichthyidae), known as

catfish, is restricted in South America and it is

identified by having an elongated body,

covered by two sets of side plates, absent in the

abdominal region (Reis, 1997). The specie

presents sexual dimorphism being that adult

males have a higher average size, curved

pectoral spines and fat deposits in the pectoral

fins, just before and during the spawning

period (Winimiller, 1987). Hoplosternum

littorale has benthic feeding and consumes

items associated to debris, microcrustaceans,

and insects (larvae and terrestrial adults)

(Winimiller, 1987; Hahn et al., 1997)

furthermore tolerate low oxygen levels in the

environment (Luquet et al., 1990).

In this paper, we report for the first time the

occurrence of third-stage D.renale larvae in the

fish H. littorale from southern Brazil.

Four hosts collected with beam trawl with 5 m

length, 2.25 high, and 5 mm mesh (knot to

knot) employed in the coastal zones from

urban canal in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul,

Brazil (31°45'50.6''S - 52°18'53.5''W). The

collections were made under license from the

Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da

Biodiversidade (ICMBio/n° 47397) and were

approved by the Research Ethics Committee of

the Universidade Federal de Pelotas (CEEA –

1859/2015). Fish were necropsied and the

nematodes were fixed in AFA (70°GL ethanol,

formalin 37% and glacial acetic acid),

preserved in 70°GL glycerinated alcohol,

cleared and mounted in Amann's lactophenol

(phenol, lactic acid, glycerin and water).

Specimens were identified according to Mace

& Anderson (1975), Measures & Anderson,

(1985) and Pedrassani et al. (2009) and then

deposited in the “Coleção de Helmintos do

Laboratório de Parasitologia de Animal

Silvestres (CHLAPASIL/UFPel)” (Numbers

617 – 622), Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil.

Parasitological indices were according Bush et

al. (1997).

All hosts were infected by third-stage larvae of

D. renale with one larva per cyst occurring in

the body cavity and stomach serous. The mean

intensity (MI) was 4.5 helminths/host (1-5

larvae).

In Canada, third-stage larvae was reported in

fish Lepomis gibbosus (Linnaeus, 1758)

(Perciformes: Centrarchidae) (n=279) with

prevalence (P%) and mean intensity (MI)

ranged from 5 to 23% and one to two larvae

respectively (Measures & Anderson, 1985). In

Brazil, larvae were recorded in the intestines of

Gymnotus sylvius Albert & Fernandes-Matioli,

1999 (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae) (n=51)

INTRODUCTION MATERIAL AND METHODS

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Mascarenhas et al.

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Neotropical Helminthology. Vol. 10, Nº1, ene-jun 2016

and Acestrorhynchus lacustris (Lütken, 1875)

(Characiiformes: Acestrorhynchidae) (n=62)

with P% and MI of 20; 1.5 and 5; 1,

respectively (Abdallah et al., 2012).

Pedrassani et al. (2009) identified the frog,

Rhinella icterica (Spix, 1824) (=Chaunus

ictericus) (Anura: Bufonidae) in Santa

Catarina State, as a paratenic D. renale host

with third-stage larvae in 5.17% of hosts. In

Rio Grande do Sul State, Mascarenhas &

Müller (2015a, 2015b) reported third-stage

larvae in Trachemys dorbigni (Testudines:

Emidydae) (n=32) (P% 87.5; MI 13.9) in urban

area of Pelotas, and suggesting that the high

prevalence is related to characteristics of the

urban zone, where a large population of

domestic dogs and eutrophication processes

may be contributing to maintenance the life

cycle of D. renale.

This is the first record of third-stage D. renale

larvae in Hoplosternum littorale, and the

occurrence suggests this fish as a potential

paratenic host. Further research should be

conducted to investigate the cycle´s dynamics

the cycle of D. renale in the urban area, as well

as to contribute to the knowledge of biology

this Nematoda. Furthermore, the occurrence of

third-stage D. renale larvae in fish must be

investigated as it may represent a risk to public

health, since human infections in the skin and

kidneys have been reported in Asia (Hanjani et

al., 1968; Urano et al., 2001; Sardjono et al.,

2008; Katafigiotis et al., 2013; Tokiwa et al.,

2013).

Special thanks to “Instituto Chico Mendes de

Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMbio) for

permissions, to CAPES (Coordenação de

Aperfeiçoamento do Pessoal de Nível

Superior) (process number 032/2010) for

financial support and to Alice Graciela R.

Suárez for their assistance.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Dioctophyme renale in Hoplosternum

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Duarte, J, Costa, AMB, Katagiri, S, Martins, JA,

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Hahn, NS, Almeida, VLL & Gaspar da Luz, KD.

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Hanjani, FA, Sadighan, A, Mikakhfar, B &

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Hernández-Russo, Z, Supparo-Rizzardini, E,

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Katafigiotis, I, Fragkiadis E, Pournaras C,

Nonni, A & Stravodimos, KG. 2013.

New hosts and

distribution records for nematode

parasites os freshwater fishes from São

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Helminthology, vol. 6, pp. 43-57.

Nematode Parasites of

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Parasitology meets ecology on

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